Container



, stares Patent one@ fj f 3,182,8 Patented May 1,1, 19t

3,182,851 CONTAINER William Edward Taylor, Fairfield, Conn., assignor toAmerican Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New .ersey FiledDec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 247,983 11 Claims. '(Cl. 220-53) This inventionrelates to hermetically sealed cans or containers which may be readilyopened without the use of an opening key or other` opening tool and hasparticular reference to a can having a friction closure which is sealedin place by a thin fiexible sealing ring which may be easily peeled fromthe can to permit removal of the closure.

There is today in the packaging field a definite-desire for ahermetically sealed, tamperproof can which cank be easily opened withoutrecourse to tools such as can openers or opening keys. n

The present invention contemplates the fulfillment of this desire byproviding a can having a friction closure -which is formed lwith a toppanel having a smooth, outer frictionalv contact between the closure andthe ring tov provide a tamperproof, hermetic seal for'the can. In orderto provide for removal of the sealing ring, it is cylindrical can whichmay be formed of thin sheet mel such as tin plate, aluminum plate, orthe like. The c` includes a tubular body 12 which is closed and seal atits bottom end by a conventional double seamedbotto end member, which isnot shown.

The body 12 is closed at its uppery end by a frictii ring 13 and afriction closure 14Vwhich;is-frictional seated therein. Themarginal edgeportionof the frictin ring 13 preferably is interlocked with the'upperend the can body 12 in a conventional hermeticdouble sea 15. The closurering 13 (FIG. 2) also comprises countersink wall 16 which forms theAinnermost layer the double seam 15, an inwardly extending smooth annlar step wall 17, a dependingverticalfriction wall18, a1 an inwardlyextending annular horizontal` flange 19, t inner edge of which isreversely bent ina hem 20`a1 defines a central opening 21 through whichthe can m; be filled or emptied.

The friction closure 14 (FIG. 2) preferebly is formt from a fiat metalblank, and comprises a flat annul `panel25 having an outer marginal edgeportionI there bent downwardly, into a peripheral depending friction'w:26 which frictionally engages the annular friction w:

' 18 of the friction ring 13 for frictionally retainingy t closure 14 inposition in the friction ring 13. At .t lower end of the friction wall26, the terminal edgevportit of the closure 14 is bent inwardly andupwardly into hollow -curl 27 which provides'a smooth, relatively rigiformed with a projecting pull tab which permits the consumer to -easilystrip the ring from its scatto thereby release the friction closure,which thereafter serves as a reclosure for the can.

An object of the present invention, therefore, -is the provision of ahermetically sealed container'which may be readily opened without thcuse of an opening key or other tool by merely peelingoff a lsealingring.

Another object is the provision of a friction reclosure can providedwith a readily peelable sealing ring which Numerous other objects andadvantages of the'invention will be apparent as it is better understoodfrom the following description, which, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings: FIGURE l is a top plan view of a embodyingthe present invention;

. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper part of the instantcontainer drawn to an enlarged scale, the view being taken along theline 2-2 in FIG. l; v

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top'plan view showinga modified form of theinvention on the container shown in FIG. l;and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper part ofthecontainer shown in FIG. 3, drawn to an enlarged scale, the view beingtaken along the line 4.-4 in FIG. 3.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIGS. 1 and 2of the drawings illustrate a reinformed outer kedge for the reclosure14.

In order to facilitate'the application of the closure I `into seatedposition in the friction ringl 13 and' to pern its removal therefrom,the reclosure 14 is provided wi a raised finger engaging knob 28 whichis located central of the panel Z5 and which preferably does notexteiabove the top edge of the top double seam 1.5.

The friction closure 14, when in closed positionin-tl friction ring 13(FIG. 2), is disposed in a recess or se 30 -which is defined 'by thefriction wall 18v and the su rounding annular tiange 19. The depth ofthe seat i preferably is Vsuch that the upper surface of the step wt 17of the friction ring 13 is in the same plane as tl upper surface of thelannular panel 25 of the frctit closure 14 (FIG, 2), thus providing asubstantially co tinuous, flush annular sealing surface, generally desinated by thev numeral 31 which includesv the adjace;

-annular surfaces of the step 17 and the panel 25'.l

The can is hermetically sealed by means of a tampe proof annular sealingring 32 which is adhesively secure to the flush sealing surface 31 ofthe can in such mann that it bridges the friction ring 13 and thefriction closu: 14 and is sealed to both of these parts to form a hermetliquid'proof seal which completely seals the can and pr vents anyleakage of any fluid between the friction wal 18 and 26.

As exemplary of a suitable sealing ring constructie] the drawingsdisclose it as being formed of a laminate material which comprises anupper layer 33 formed c a thin flexible metal foil such as` aluminumfoily and bottom layer 34 formed ofY a thin film of a suitable themoplastic resin which is heat sealed to the sealing sui-fac 31` andwhich is sufficiently low in peelfres'istanceto perm it to bestripped'cleanly from the sealing surface-31 witl out requiring the useof opening tools of any type.

The layerv 34l comprises a random copolymer of ethy ene and acrylic acidhaving a copolymerized acrylic aci content in the neighborhood of 3%(plus or minus 0.5% by weight, based on copolymer weight, and a meltinde of 8, plus or minus 1.

3 en measured at 23 C., this material has the follow proximate physicalproperties:

.y .923 e strength p.s.i- 1720 e, impact p.s.i 1500 strength p,s.i 1345ition percent 520 ty p.s.i 1.5 X104 ess (Shore C) 80 l tests with thisethylene-acrylic acid copolymer `n vtwo strips of tin plate, each 3Awide, whiei are :d to each other by an interposed layer of this coer arepulled apart at an 1809 angle at a speed of per minute and a temperatureof 77 F. indicate strength of about 2.4 lbs. per .3AV lineal inch.

i resin is particularly desirable since it is impervious water, grease,and all other uids to which the exand interiorof the can l is normallyexposed, has sired. low peel strength, and forms a self-sustaining hichstrengthens the aluminum foil layer.

ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer is preferably exdirectly onto thealuminum foil layer 33 while in a 1 state. The most practical way ofaccomplishing to extrude the resin onto a large web orsheet of minumfoil and to then cut the sealing ring 32 from sultant aluminumfoil-resin lamination.l It has )und that a sealing ring 32 of sutiicientstrength and ity to meet the normal requirements of the instant 1er isproduced When the aluminum foil layer 33 is 0.003 inch thick and ltheresin layer 34 is about 3 lick. These thicknesses can of course bevaried to vaeciic can requirements. l j

ill be understood. that adhesive. materials differing :position from theabove described .thermoplastic lay be utilized as thel layer 3d. Theparticular comly by internal pressure great enough to overcome thefriction between the friction walls 18 and 26, thc conically disposedadhesive bond between the sealing ring 32 and the step wall 17 will besubjected to more of a shearing stress and less of a peeling stress thanin the form of the invention disclosed in FIGS. l and 2. Thus, becausethe bond between the thermoplastic resin 34 and the sealing surface 31is much more resistant to shearing stresses than to peeling stresses,the can of FIGS. 3 and V4 is capable of holding higher internalpressures than is the can of FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be noted, however,that even'in FIGS. 3 and 4, the panel 25 of the friction closure forms asmooth continuation of the step wall 17, and the two still combine toprovide a sealing surface 31 for the reception of the sealing ring.

The ein of FIGS. 3 and 4 also differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2 in thatthe sealing ring 32 is provided with a free, non-adhered pull tab 38which extends from the outer peripheral edge of the sealing ring 32 andis reversely folded back over the ring so that it extends radially ofthe can.

In this modified form, the sealing ring 32 may be easily y removedbymerely lifting the pull tab 38 upwardly and thereafter peeling ot thesealing rin-g 32 from its sealed position on the upwardly sloping stepwall 17 and the substantially at panel wall 25 of the reclosure` 14. Inthis peeling operation, the sealing ring 32 is not torn across, as inFIGS. 1 and 2, but instead the peel-ing action begins at the pull tab385 and progresses around the top a used will depend to great extent onthe particular ler requirements.

'der to provide for easy opening of the can without of an opening key orother tool, a pull tab 35 is :d (see FIG. l), which is not adhered tothe underanel wall 25. The pull tab 3S is formed as an inpart of thesealing ring 32 and extends angularly i ly from the inner periphery ofthe sealing ring 32v t chordal center line so that when the pull tab 35.and pulled upwardly and circumferentially around of the can, thesealing ring 32 is torn across, along ginary line which is generallyindicated by the dot sh line 36 in FIG. l, andthen stripped from thesurface 3l in a clockwise direction, as indicated arrow in FIG. 1.tearing across of the sealing ring 32 is facilitated :oniiguration ofthe pull tab 35, as viewed in FIG. one of the side edges of this pulltab 35 and the ripheral edge of the sealing ring 31 define an acute 7which serves to initiate the tear in such manner s directed across thesealing ring 32. It is obvious ler shapes of pull tabs may be used, andthat the ring 32 may be partially slit,I or provided with a perforationswhich extend partially or completely le line 36 to more positivelydirect the tear across ing ring 32.

the sealing ring 32 has been peeled off, the friction I4 may be removedto permitremoval of part or e container contents. If all of the contentsare not mediately, the closure 31.4 thereafter may be reo its originalposition on the can for the purpose 1g it and protecting the remainingportion of the ation so that when the closure l@ iS Urged Upward' of thecan in both directions, as indicated by the arrows iny FIG. 3. All otherparts of this modified form of instant container not hereindifferentiated are substantially identical to the pants hereinbeforedescribed in connection with the preferred embodiment of this invention.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill lbe understood from the foregoing description and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of lthe parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, t-he formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: l

1. A hermeticallysealed container comprising a tubular body, a ringsecured to an end of said body, said ring comprising an annular wall.and a recessed annular seat, a closure disposed in said sea-t andhaving a substantially horizonztal annular wall which issubstantially-ush with the adjoining inner edge portion of said annularring Wall and disposed radially inwardly thereof, and a peelable annularseal-ing `mem-ber bridging and adhesively bonded to adjoining portionsof said annularring wall and said annular closure wall to provide ahermetic, tamperproof seal for said container.

l 2. The container of claim 1, wherein said sealing memi ber comprisesan annular tiexible sealing ring which is bonded to said adjoiningpontions of said annular ring Wall and said annular closure Wall by anadhesive which has low peel resistance.

3. The container-ofclaim 2 wherein said annular sealing ning comprises alayer of flexible aluminum foil and a layer of an adhesive.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said adhesive cornprises a layer ofa thermoplastic resin which is heat sealed to said ring and closure.

5. The container of claim 4 wherein said thermoplastic resin comprises acopolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid.

6. A hermetically sealed container comprising a tubular body, a frictionring secured to an end of said body, said ring comprising an annularsubstantially horizontal wall and a vertical friction wall, a frictionclosure for said container, said closure having a peripheral friction 5t ing an annular wall portion which is substantially ush with theadjacent inner edge portion of said annular ring wall, an annularsealing ring bonded to adjoining portions of said annular ring wall andsaid annular' closure wall by an adhesive which has low peel resistance,and

a pull tab extending from said sealing ring to facilitate the peeling ofsaid sealing ring from said adjoining ring and closure portions.

7. The container of claim 6 wherein the annular wall of said frictionring inclines upwardly and inwardly.

8. The container of claim 6 wherein said-closure includes nger engagingmeans which extend above said annular closure wail within said annularsealing ring to facilitate handling of said closure.

extends from the outer periphery of sa-id annular seal ring.

10. The container of claim 6 wherein said pull extends from the innerperiphery of said annular seal ring. y

11. The container ofvclaim 10 wherein said pull extends an-gularly fromsaid sealing ring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,655,111 1/28Taliaferro er a1. 220;- 2,443 ,984 6/48 Hills 22o- 2,777,601 -1/57Cheeiey 229- 9. The container of claim 6 wherein said pull tab 15 THERONE. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

1. A HERMETICALLY SEALED CONTAINER COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY, A RING SECURED TO AN END OF SAID BODY, SAID RING COMPRISING AN ANNULAR WALL AND A RECESSED ANNULAR SEAT, A CLOSURE DISPOSED IN SAID SEAT AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ANNULAR WALL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE ADJOINING INNER EDGE PORTION OF SAID ANNULAR RING WALL AND DISPOSED RADIALLY INWARDLY THEREOF, AND A PEELABLE ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER BRIDGING AND ADHESIVELY BONDED TO ADJOINING PORTIONS OF SAID ANNULAR RING WALL AND SAID ANNULAR CLOSURE WALL TO PROVIDE A HERMETIC, TAMPERPROOF SEAL FOR SAID CONTAINER. 